Brett Ewins

(1955 - 16 February 2015, UK)

Bad Company (2000AD #500, art by Ewins and Jim McCarthy)

Brett Ewins was a British comic book artist, who has mainly worked for 2000 AD. After studying conceptual art at Goldsmiths College until 1977, Ewins teamed up with Brendan McCarthy to create the short-lived comic book 'Somertime Stories'. The duo continued their collaboration at 2000 AD, where they worked on features like 'Future Shocks' and 'Judge Dredd'. Ewins also illustrated many covers, and provided solo artwork for 'Rogue Trooper' and 'Judge Anderson'. His best-known work for DC is probably the science fiction epic 'Bad Company', that he produced with Peter Milligan and Jim McCarthy in 1986.

Judge Dredd (2000 AD #359)

In 1988, he launched the influential comic magazine Deadline with Steve Dillon, that launched the careers of artists like Jamie Hewlett, Philip Bond, Nick Abadzis, D'Israeli and Glyn Dillon. By then, he was also working for the US market. He created 'Strange Days' and 'Johnny Nemo' with Pete Milligan for Eclipse and drew 'Skreemer' with Dillon for DC Comics. For DC Comics he has also drawn issues of 'Swamp Thing', 'Hellblazer' and 'Secret Origins'.

Skreemer #1, art by Ewins and Dillon

Ewins had a breakdown in 1991, and was diagnozed with paranoid schizophrenia. He largely withdrew from commercial work, and focused on painting and comic stories based on his situation with Peter Milligan, Alan Grant and Alan McKenzie. A book collection of these stories was finally published by Cyberosia Publishing under the title 'The Dark Gate' in 2004. He returned to the public attention in 2012 with reports about his hospitalization after a fight with the police, and the subsequent trial. The artist passed away from the results of carcinomatosis in February 2015, at the age of 59.